Environmental Chic

Looking for a few comfy yet stylish frocks to hit the beach in this summer? I love these dresses from Toggery by Kate D'Acry. All are available at luxgreenliving.com, a new site dedicated to fashion-forward pieces that are also environmentally friendly.

Right now, they're having a pre-Earth Day sale with 50% off everything on the entire site -- nothing is over $100! I think I know where I'm getting my summer wardrobe...

Drive Like A Woman

Female Cabbie in Yuncheng, Chia [Photo by Helga's Lobster Stew/flickr]

There's a great article on MarieClaire.com that includes lots of fun facts about how women around the world take to the wheel. A few highlights:

In SWITZERLAND, some shopping centers offer women's-only parking spaces close to stores to ensure apres diem shopping safety.

In MOLDOVA, twice the number of women as men applied for their licenses last year.

In TURKEY, a members-only car service especially for women picks up in pink BMWs stocked with disposable cosmetics, healthy snacks, and magazines. All drivers are female and trained in self-defense.

In CHINA, 25 percent of Ferrari owners here are women. (Compare that to 10 percent in North America).

Blissful in Barbados

You may recognize the name as the place where Tiger Woods tied the knot a few years ago: Sandy Lane. This amazingly beautiful resort in Barbados (complete with golf course, of course!) has long been a luxury destination of choice for the upper-crust. With rooms like this, it's easy to see why...

I've just received word that for spring and summer 2009, Sandy Lane will be offering 7 plush new packages including free nights and lots of value-added goodies like spa vouchers, lunches and rounds of golf. You can check the website for more details.

The resort just completed a multi-million dollar renovation last fall, and the spa now boasts a panoramic sauna, experience showers and a Rhassoul bath (the only one in the Caribbean). The new amenaties certainly sound great, but what I really wanna do is hang out on a floating bench like this and drink fruity cocktails all day...

Only in England...

[Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer/flickr]

If you plan on heading to Mansfield, England, anytime soon, better make sure your complexion's in check. In an effort to stop local teens from loitering, residents of the central-England town have installed bright pink fluorescent lights (the kind normally used by dermatologists to make pimples show up) on the streets. In addition to deterring vain teens with the threat of acne embarrassment, AFP reports residents think "surly teenage males might find it 'uncool' to hang around in a bright pink underpass." Apparently, it's working. Gotta love the ingenuity!

Benevolence by the Sea

This spring, take a sweet retreat and be a do-gooder at the same time. The lovely Inn by the Sea, an eco-luxury resort in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is slashing rates on seaside cottages by 50 percent Sundays through Thursdays in May to support "Hospitality for Humanity, a program that raises money to help build homes for needy families.

Guests enjoy paying half the regular rate for a two-bedroom cottage in exchange for a $35 check made out to Habitat for Humanity -- a pretty amazing deal any way you look at it. Plus, you get to spend your days exploring the beautiful Maine coast and your nights enoying a glass of wine in cushy diggs like this...

Now that's a pretty good incentive to give to charity!

How the World Makes Love

Talk about making the most out of a bad situation! After being dumped at the alter, Franz Wisner didn't want to miss out on his planned 2-week honeymoon in Costa Rica. So, in the absence of a new Mrs. Wisner, he took his brother. Turns out, they had so much fun that 2 weeks turned into a 2-year round-the-world trip and a New York Times bestseller called Honeymoon With my Brother.

Kurt and Franz Wisner [Photo by Stephen Brown]

Now, Wisner has just come out with his second travel-related book, How the World Makes Love (wonder what researching this one entailed). In all seriousness, though, word is this is a fantastically entertaining book that chronicles not only love rituals in Egypt, Brazil, New Zealand and Nicaragua (to name a few countries), but Wisner's own rocky love life back home in L.A.

I can't imagine a more appropriate springtime read! You can get a copy at Amazon

Colombia in NY Part 2

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent the better part of Friday night driving around New York in La Chiva -- the Colombian Party bus. It was a fun time. (That's me in the middle with my man, James, and best friends, Zofie and Raffy -- don't we look HAPPY?) I think four hours on a bus may have been a bit much, though, even with a DJ and drinks.

My friend Kristin and me taking a break

After the trip, I got curious about this Colombian tradition and did some research. A little background: Chiva buses are old buses modified by artisans and used for regular transportation in rural Colombia. Here's the real deal...

More recently, the Chivas have been used as "party buses," for touring areas like Bogata and Cartagena, Bolivar. A few sights you might see along the way on a typical Chiva...

Mountains surrounding Monseratte, Bogata [photo by lornapips/flickr]

Smiling Tucan in Cartagena [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Cartagena, Bolivar [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Cartagena, Bolivar [Photo by LUZA lack of inspiration/flickr]

Makes me wanna head to Colombia ASAP!

A Little Bit of Colombia in NYC

Tonight, I'm off to a surprise birthday party on La Chiva, otherwise known as the Colombian party bus. Apparently a group of Colombian entrepreneurs decided to bring their country's grand tradition of drinking and dancing in large vehicles to the streets of NYC. Hummm...this could be interesting. Updates next week. Gotta go catch the bus!!

Boost Your Spirits

[Photo by Carlos Mendoza/flickr]

Want a morning pick-me-up that helps you feel and look amazing? One of my favorite little indulgences is Dr. Brandt's blueberry flavored anti-oxidant water booster. Just a few drops have the anti-oxidant power of 15 cups of green tea. It's great for your skin, gives a caffeine-free energy boost, and makes a regular glass of water taste super yummy. Even more perfect, the 2 oz bottle size means no problems packing it in your carry on so you can take it with you on your travels.

Feed Them with Knowledge

[Photo by foto morgana/flickr]

Got some down time at your desk? Spend a few minutes on freerice.com and build your brainpower while helping those in need. Free Rice generates a series of questions to test your knowledge of basic subjects (vocabulary is my personal favorite). For every answer you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice to help end hunger through the UN World Food Program. If you miss one, they give you another shot at it later in the session. So, you learn something new and feed the hungry all at the same time. Genius!